Why Cobbled Streets? The Story Behind the Name — and the Mission to Build Brighter Pathways

At Cobbled Streets, our name reflects the real, often rough terrain that children in foster and kinship care must navigate. Shari, our Founder, and our leadership team envisioned cobbled streets as a powerful metaphor for the challenging, uneven paths these young people must travel — full of cracks, obstacles, and uncertainty.

Children in the foster system are required to cross terrain that many of us will never fully comprehend: abuse and neglect, fractured homes, unfamiliar placements, lost connections. These streets are not smooth. They are hard, unpredictable, and, too often, lonely. But here’s the heart of our mission: No child should have to walk those streets alone.

Cobbled Streets exists to brighten the path, to lead the way, to lift a child up when they stumble — and to remind every young person that their future is not defined by the roughness of the road behind them.

Building Pathways of Hope: The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences

Research from the HOPE National Resource Center highlights how Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) serve as powerful buffers against trauma. At Cobbled Streets, we build these experiences around four essential pillars:

• Relationships with consistent, supportive adults and peers.

• Environments that feel stable, welcoming, and safe.

• Engagement in joyful, meaningful activities that foster belonging.

• Emotional Growth through opportunities to navigate challenges with support.

  
  

Why This Work Matters: Beyond Adversity, Toward a Future

The risks of not addressing trauma early are stark. Nationally, 70% of foster youth don't graduate high school with their class; 80% struggle with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety; rates of homelessness and incarceration are significantly higher for young people who age out of foster care without support.

Yet here’s the extraordinary hope: Positive childhood experiences can reverse these trends.

When a child has access to safe relationships, supportive environments, engagement opportunities, and emotional growth, their future trajectory can shift dramatically. A single soccer practice, a first dance class, a summer of golf lessons — it may seem small to some, but to a child navigating a world of uncertainty, it can be transformative.

Sometimes, as we’ve witnessed, just one powerful moment — like attending a Rockies baseball game for the first time — can break through the isolation and plant the seeds of hope.

What Makes Cobbled Streets Different

While many organizations rightly focus on basic needs like food and clothing, Cobbled Streets is different. We’re here to nurture the whole child — to fuel their passions, celebrate their strengths, and create joyful memories that no system, no matter how broken, can take away.

Our approach is fully individualized: no one-size-fits-all programs. Every experience we fund — from equine therapy to guitar lessons to concert tickets — is tailored to each child's unique spirit. We honor cultural backgrounds, personal interests, and developmental needs. We listen. We respond with urgency.

We serve both foster and kinship children because every child facing family separation deserves to feel seen, supported, and celebrated.

Walking Beside Them, Not Ahead of Them

Cobbled Streets is more than a name. It's a commitment: to walk beside every child, lighting their way, offering a steady hand when they slip, and celebrating every brave step they take.

Because while the streets may be cobbled, with cracks and pitfalls, together, we can make the journey one of hope, not fear — one filled with laughter, belonging, and dreams made real.